Display panel



J. CULLIS, JR

DISPLAY PANEL Filed Sept. l5, 1967 April 28, 1970 Fi 1:. l.

1NVENTOR. J'OHN CuLLls J'p.. M4 ga@ ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,509,407 DISPLAY PANEL John Cullis, Jr., Basking Ridge, NJ., assignor to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 667,971 Int. Cl. H01j 11/00 U.S. Cl. 313-201 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is of a display panel including a plurality of small gasailled cells and comprising a lirst solid rglass plate and a second plate which includes a plurality 1,of depressions which are lled with gas and comprise lightproducing cells in the completed device. The two plates carry electrodes for operating the cells.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to multiple cell display devices and utilizes only two plates which may be relatively thick and strong, with the cells being formed as depressions in one of the plates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. l is a plan view of a display panel embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View along the line 2-2 of the device of FIG. 1; and

IFIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of a modification of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A display panel embodying the invention includes a first solid glass plate 20 and a second glass plate 30 which is provided with a plurality of depressions or cells 40 arrayed in rows and columns and comprising the gasflled, light-producing cells in the completed device. The depressions or cells 40 may be formed by ultrasonic drilling, by chemical etching, or in any other suitable manner. In panel 10, each column of cells 40 is provided with a common column electrode 60, and each row of cells is provided with a common row electrode 70. Either electrodes -60 or 70 should be transparent or should be dimensioned or positioned so that glowing gas in tired cells 40 can be viewed. The electrodes 60 and 70 may be evaporated lilms, or they may be thin wires or metal strips. Electrodes 60 may be formed on the upper surface 80 of plate 20, or they may be formed on the lower surface y82 of plate 20 (FIG. 3) and coated with a layer 83 of a transparent insulating material to insulate them from ice the gas in cells 40. Row electrodes are formed on the lower free surface 84 of plate 30.

The plates 20 and 30 may be secured together at their edges by means of a suitable cement, or they may be sealed together by heat l and by melting and cooling of the glass. Another suitable sealing arrangement might utilize metal tilms secured around the edges of both plates and sealed to each other. Other suitable sealing arrangements will occur 'to those skilled inthe art.

The panel 10 uses an ionizable gas such as neon, argon, etc., mixtures of these gases, or mixtures f these gases with nitrogen or the like. A mixture of about 96% neon and about 4% nitrogen at a pressure of afew hundred mm. Hg is particularlyvsuitable. The gas may be introduced by a tubulation (not shown), or, alternatively, the glass plates may be assembled in a vacuum furnace in which the desired gas ambient can -be provided and the desired lling and sealing operations can be achieved without requiring a tubulation.

Circuits for using matrix-type devices such as panel 10 are well known, and, in these circuits, one or more cells is caused to glow by the application of proper coincident signals to the row and column electrodes'which cross at the selected cells. Cells of the type described also exhibit memory; that is, after they are fired by an appropriate signal, glow can be maintained by an alternating sustaining signal of lower amplitude.

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel comprising a relatively thick insulating plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and having a plurality of depressions extending from said top surface into the body of said plate and terminating within said body spaced from said bottom surface,

said depresions being arrayed in rows and columns,

a plurality of first electrodes secured to said bottom surface of said plate, said electrodes being parallel to each other, with each electrode being aligned with a group of depressions,

a second insulating plate secured to said top surface and covering said depressions, said depressions thus comprising closed cells,

a plurality of second electrodes secured to said second plate and spaced from said depressions by said second plate, said second electrodes b eing parallel to each other and generally oriented at an angle to said -irst electrodes, each said second electrode being aligned with a group of depressions, and

a filling of an ionizable gas in said cells.

2. The panel defined in claim 1 wherein said first electrodes are oriented at to said second electrodes.

3. The panel defined in claim 1 wherein each said rst electrode is aligned with a row of cells and each said second electrode is aligned with a column of cells.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,967,965 1/1961 Schwartz 315-169 X 2,008,782 7/1935 Brady 313-1095 2,644,113 6/1953 Etzkorn 313-220 X 2,848,638 8/ 1958 Smith S13-109.5

RAYMOND F. HOSSFELD, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

